Used glass boats

[Larbo]

Looking at a 10 year old glass boat what structural issues should I be looking / concerned about?

[jopes]

everything, Runners, floor, transom.

[BW]

I would be less worried about a 10 year old glass boat than a tin boat! You should be able to tell quickly by a look around how the owner took care of it. If it is a clean boat and doesn't look abused, then I wouldn't be worried. Most glass boats have lifetime warranties, so that should tell you right there how well they are built.

[staylor]

...in the main bottom core( between the glass bottom and the floor ) and in the transom. A bad core will sometimes show up as "soft" areas on the floor area which will sag or go "squish" if rotted when you walk over them. You should pull whatever covers you can find to look down into the hull near the transom drain plugs. if you see a lot of staining then the core may be shot. Also, look for stress cracks where the transom joins to the top deck. Look for holes through the transom with no sign of obvious sealant which would allow water to get in over time.

If all of the above checks look good, take a good hard look at the bottom. Look for any repaired holes as these can leak into the core. Look at the joint where the deck is bonded to the sides, checking for missing sections of joint or cracks.

Lastly, get a 6 ft long straight edge and with the boat on the trailer look for how straight the last 6 ft of bottom is. Usually anything more than 3/8 deviation from perfectly straight will indicate handling troubles. Also look for straightness near where the trailer bunks or rollers support the hull. Any local sagging near the supports indicates a rotted core.
Doug

[Larbo]

Thanks everybody for the advice. Larry